Liquid Swords
.png |name = |start = March 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM (PST) |end = March 23, 2014 at 7:59 PM (PST) |preceded by = Battle Royale XXI |followed by = Dark Horizon }} is a limited time Odyssey Event, and the twenty-second in the series. It was scheduled to start on March 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM (PST) and end on March 23, 2014 at 7:59 PM (PST). __TOC__ Story The magnificent ruins were surrounded by a large, thick forest. There were even more ruins from an ancient era buried beneath the ground. It was said that they could never be excavated. The underground ruins extended far and wide beneath the soil, and were said to be as large as a metropolis. "Aaaaa!" Yvette's high-pitched voice rang out, as if she was completely ignoring the sacred historical atmosphere. "Those two guys are pretty handsome!" The Heroes glanced disinterestedly at the "handsome" ones that had attracted Yvette's attention. Casting a sidelong glance at the Heroes, Yvette raced over to the objects of her affection. The Heroes were disgusted. As they got closer, they saw that the two young men who Yvette had called "handsome" were engaged in a battle of words. Yvette and the Heroes grew concerned as they observed this haughty exchange of opinions. They decided to intervene and hear both sides of the story. The young men were well-known treasure hunters. They had come to the ruins in search of the "sword room" that housed "Balin's Blades." There had been a third person in their party, but he had been surrounded by strange fumes and instantly turned into a monster after taking one of the legendary swords into his hands. "I never believed in curses before..." said one of the treasure hunters. Yvette did not fail to hear what he said. "Wait, wait! Balin's Blades? A curse? Tell me more." She wasn't the only one interested in the young men's story. The Heroes leaned forward to hear more. Balin's Blades were also known as the "Cursed Blades. "Long ago, there lived a master blacksmith named "Balin" who also had rarely-seen swordsmanship skills. One of Balin's elder apprentices grew jealous of his boundless talent. Balin lost everything to him. Right before Balin passed on, he became practicalysic obsessed and crafted 13 cursed swords that came to be known collectively as "Balin's Blades." "So... How come you turn into a monster if you pick up one of the blades?" asked Yvette. "Hmmm... We don't know the details. But..." The treasure hunter paused momentarily. He began to speak again, sharing his doubts about the rumors surrounding the blades and the ruins. It was said that the blade granted unlimited power to its bearer. Among those who had entered the ruins in search of the swords, only a few had managed to survive as the treasure hunters had. Many monsters lived around the ruins, and of course inside them as well. It was said that their numbers were growing... "To be honest, I do not want to go back into the ruins. But I do want to rescue our comrade! And I want to find out more about the curse. Hey, you're Heroes, aren't you? Lend us your strength!" The young man conveyed his unwavering wishes to the Heroes. "But why did you go after the swords even though you knew about their history?" asked Yvette. The young men were already preparing to move out. One shrugged and answered. "We're treasure hunters. Is there any reason not to seek something so precious and high in value?" "We'll meet you in the sword room!" the other one called. "We'll take the east corridor, you take the west!" With that, the two young men took off.The Heroes were impressed by their energy, and felt obliged to help them. They set off with Yvette and headed into the ruins. Epilogue The solemn center of the ruins was suffused with the majestic air of bygone centuries. "Whoa! Look at all the swords!" Yvette gasped in wonder at the sublime sight of the countless blades before her. This was the "sword room" that the treasure hunters had spoken of. And at the center stood two people, their blades pointed at each other. One was a gorgeous young woman wearing a stern expression. The other was a hideous-looking giant... Perhaps "monster" would be more accurate. "Hey, Heroes..." Yvette crept close to their ears, trying not to call attention to herself. "What the heck is going on here?" The Heroes shrugged and shook their heads in response. Both of the people before them had swords, but there was no telling if they were "Balin's Blades." For all they knew, both of them could have been armed with the cursed blades. The atmosphere in the room was overwhelmingly tense. Amidst the oppressive silence, faint footsteps could be heard coming from somewhere. It seemed someone was approaching from the eastern corridor. The footsteps quickened their pace, and suddenly a pair of shadows materialized within the hall. The Heroes recognized the youthful voices. "Lucia!" It was the treasure hunters they had met in front of the ruins. "Janil! Xeno!" The woman called out when she caught sight of the treasure hunters. Her frigid expression broke into a warm smile of relief, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh! It's those hunks from before!" Hearing Yvette's voice, Janil and Xeno turned toward her. "So you guys made it already, eh? The western corridor was supposed to be filled with monsters... You must be pretty strong. No wonder you're called Heroes." "You two sure took your sweet time, huh?" The treasure hunters didn't seem to mind Yvette's jab. She continued, half-amazed at their nonchalance. "And I guess that girl over there is your other comrade?" At these words, Janil and Xeno's faces suddenly darkened. "Lucia, you need to put down that sword... Or else you'll turn into a monster! That's probably exactly what happened to that guy there!" Janil and Xeno spoke as if they had figured everything out. "Balin's Blades grant amazing power to those who wield them. But the price of this power is the user's own body." "Using the swords' power causes the curse to spread, turning you into a demon. And once you use it all up, you die." "But this doesn't happen to everyone. The weak-hearted may die... But the strong-hearted can overcome the curse... Or so the legends say." Xeno continued to explain the legend behind "Balin's Blades" in more detail. "The strong-hearted can defeat the curse. But even the weak-hearted won't turn into demons as long as they don't rely on the sword's power. Those who depend on the blades' strength are the real weaklings." "I get it! That explains why that woman from before didn't look like a demon!" The Heroes and Yvette recalled those whom they had encountered on their journey here. Everything finally made sense. The woman Yvette spoke of had indeed possessed one of Balin's Blades... But she had remained dedicated to her mission despite knowing the consequences. Unlike the others, she had never relied on the sword's power. That must be why she was the only one who didn't transform. "Lucia, give me that sword." When she heard Janil say this, Yvette cried out in protest. "Are you crazy?! If you use that sword, you'll be cursed!" When Lucia refused to loosen her grip on the blade, Xeno looked at Janil and flashed a bold grin. "The strong-hearted will destroy the curse; the weak-hearted will succumb to it." Muttering this to himself, Janil at last raised his voice and declared, "I will destroy the curse!" He dashed to Lucia and wrested the accursed blade from her grasp. ••• The sword room had once again descended into silence. Though everything looked the same, those in the ruins felt the sinister air around them slowly lifting. "Looks like it's all over. I just wish... you'd been the one to take the first blade." The monster's soft voice was filled with relief as it quietly looked on. "Ah!" cried Yvette. "Is this what that old man meant by 'putting an end to the curse'?" When they heard this, the Heroes remembered that the elderly man had entrusted a letter to them. They handed it to the treasure hunters. After Xeno read it, he gave a laugh, as if he finally understood everything. "Hey, Janil. It's all written here... The answer we wracked our brains trying to find in order to save Lucia. We really owe you guys." And with that, the curse of Balin's Blades was no more, and the ruins were liberated from the dreadful legends that had surrounded them for so long. After the treasure hunters thanked them, the Heroes and Yvette set off once again. "I still feel kinda bad about Lucia, though..." Yvette suddenly broke the silence. Though the strong-hearted can overcome the curse of Balin's Blades, those who have already transformed cannot regain their former body. That was the price of relying on the swords' power. Xeno's words echoed in the Heroes' minds. As Lucia had not wielded the sword for very long nor used much of its power, her face had transformed, but the rest of her body remained human. Still, the Heroes were sure that Yvette could not help feeling sorry for her. "I'd been hoping their other comrade would be another hunky guy... Lucia is so lucky she gets to hang out with those two! Maybe I should become a treasure hunter too?" The Heroes sighed. Worrying about their fairy friend had proven to be a waste of time after all. Chapters/Quests *Encountered every 25 levels after level 100. Individual rewards iOS item collection iOS final rankings Lucky ranking rewards Mega lucky ranking rewards Guild Rewards iOS Guild Rankings Common individual rewards Category:Events Category:Odyssey Events